The University of California said cancer is going to affect more people within this year in California, and it’s becoming the leading cause of death because Californians are living longer.

The University of California had a meeting about cancer on Sept. 11. This year alone, cancer will claim 60,000 lives in California. UC schools are planning to expand their programs to make it easier for the patients to get resources even though cancer is increasing very fast.

“Yeah, I knew somebody who had cancer,” said junior Princess Paulmerie. “She was my grandma’s best friend and she was always there for us. She was a nice person and she got cancer multiple times and the last time, she passed away.”

People all over the world have seen someone suffer because of cancer or they have had cancer themselves.

The Orange County Register, a news website, explained that chemotherapy and other medications, which are mostly experimental, are really expensive, but UC schools are working on it.

“I know that [cancer] can be devastating and can occur in children to elderly,” said school nurse Sherry Kassenbrock, who works in the Wellness Center. “It can affect anyone. It’s not more prevalent in certain ethnicities.”

Kassenbrock said there’s “lots of preventing that you can do like mammograms and prostate exams.”

“It’s hard to see people around you crying because they’ve lost someone to this tragic disease,” said Paulmeire.

In the past, leading causes of death included measles and smallpox, which were stopped by shots and medication. Those were huge epidemics. Cancer however is much more complicated and much worse.

The OHS Wellness Center has “counselors and we have different programs, one-on-one counseling and group counseling,” said Kassenbrock. “Grief can be different for everyone. Many students can manifest themselves for certain health defects, losing sleep and appetite. We can also have referrals and cancer grief support groups.”